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Reported Speech / Indirect Speech Examples

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Reported / Indirect Speech

How it works!

Examples: 

Question 1. 

Petra : I see him over there waiting for me.

Dona Laura : Do not remain more than ten minutes.

Petra : I will be back soon.

Dona Laura : Wait a moment.

Petra : What does the senora wish?

Ans: Petra told Dona Laura that she saw him over there waiting for her. Dona Lora warned Petra not to remain more than ten minutes. Petra assured Laura that she would be back soon. Dona Laura asked her to wait a moment. Petra replied Laura asking what the lady wished.

Note the changes made through the underlined words: 

1. Tense of the verb should change to its past form. (told that )

2. Pronouns should change correspondingly. ( I - she/he, me-her/him)

3. Reported speech should  be in a paragraph and the sentences reported should be statements.

Question 2

Don Gonzalo : I want a bench to myself.

Juanito : There is none.

Don Gonzalo : That one over there is mine.

Juanito : There are three priests sitting there.

Don Gonzalo : Rout them out.

Ans: Don Gonzalo told Juanito that he wanted a a bench to himself. Juanito replied that there was none. Don Gonzalo added that the one there was his. Juanito further told Gonzalo that there were three priests sitting there. Don Gonzalo ordered Juanito to rout them out. 

More on Reported Speech

This is one major topic in grammar that most students find it hard to deal with. So, I would like to make it simple and short so that you can easily answer the questions. 

First of all, let us understand the basics properly.

Speech is an activity that occurs when a speaker speaks, expresses a view, shares a feeling by himself/herself or with someone which can also be said Direct Speech. 

 Reported speech is an activity that takes place when you report to someone about what the speaker or speakers in a conversation have communicated. 

The words of speakers in a conversation are reported in four ways based on four types of sentences. 

Ex: 1. Don Gonzalo : I want a bench to myself. ( Assertive / Declarative / Statement Sentence)

Ans: Don Gonzalo said that he wanted a bench to himself. 

Ex: 2. Dona Laura to Don Gonzalo : Do you use a shoe brush as a handkerchief? ( Interrogative / Question  Sentence)

Ans: Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo if he used a shoe brush as a handkerchief. 

Ex: 3. Dona Laura to Don Gonzalo  : When do you use a shoe brush as a handkerchief? ( Wh Question  Sentences)

Ans: Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo when he used a shoe brush as a handkerchief. 

Ex: 4. Don Gonzalo to Juanito : Rout them out. ( Imperative  Sentence)

Ans: Don Gonzalo ordered / instructed Juanito to rout them out.

Ex: 5. Dona Laura to Don Gonzalo : It's wonderful! You can read without glasses. ( Exclamatory Sentence)

Ans: Dona Laura exclaimed that Gonzalo could / was able to read without glasses. 


Remember these points and you can easily report a conversation passage. 

  • Report in the Past Tense ( Change the verbs into their Past forms - am, is - was, are-were, will/shall - would, can-could, may-might etc.,)
  • Change the Pronouns (I-he/she, we, you -they, my-his/her, our-their etc.,)
  • Change the Adverbs of place ( now-then, here-there, ago-before etc.,)

The following reporting verb phrases are used while reporting.

            Sentence                                                                 Reporting verb phrase

  1. Assertive Sentence                                                  said that / told that      
  2. Interrogative  Sentence                                          asked if / asked wh
  3. Imperative  Sentence                                              ordered / requested to
  4. Exclamatory Sentence                                            exclaimed that

Examples 

Question 1.

Dona Laura : Do you use a shoe brush as a handkerchief?

Don Gonzalo : What right have you to criticize my actions?

Dona Laura : A neighbour’s right.

Don Gonzalo : I do not care to listen to nonsense.

Dona Laura : You are very polite.

Ans: Dona Laura asked Don Gonzalo if he used a shoe brush as a handkerchief. Don Gonzalo got annoyed by this and questioned Laura what right she had to criticize his actions. Dona Laura replied that she had a neighbour's right. Don Gonzalo retorted that he did not care to listen to nonsense. Dona Laura said ironically that he was very polite. 

Question 2. 

Minister : Why do you not run away? There is no guard to keep you.  The Prince will                                       not mind.
Criminal : I know it. But I have nowhere to go.

Sample Answer

The minister asked the criminal why he did not run away. He also said that there was no guard to keep the criminal and the prince would not mind it. The criminal replied that he knew it but expressed his helplessness that he had no where to go. 


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